My top lip was literally peeling into my morning coffee. Again. So I tossed my $40 balms for this vegan tube and didn’t look back.
I needed something that didn’t just sit on top like a greasy film — and after 30 days, my lips actually feel like lips, not sandpaper.
It’s a lip oil from Dear Dahlia — $24, promises 30-day hydration, and claims to replace your balm, gloss, AND treatment. Bold. I was skeptical.
Cushion applicator
Feels like a squishy cloud — actually deposits product evenly instead of dumping it in one glob.
Lip-plumping effect
No tingle, no burning — just a subtle swell from hydration, not irritants.
Stain-free color
Leaves a tint behind after it fades — but it’s not patchy, which is rare for oils.
Photo: Ashley Piszek / Unsplash
No petroleum, no beeswax — it’s all plant oils and fruit extracts. The formula is surprisingly lightweight for how much it delivers.
- Shea butter: Sinks in fast, doesn’t just sit on the surface
- Grape seed oil: Antioxidant boost without the grease
- Bakuchiol: Plant-based retinol alternative — helps with fine lines above the lip
- Passion fruit extract: Smells like a tropical drink but fades in 2 minutes
Photo: Nick Noel / Unsplash
Smooth as melted butter, but thinner than you’d expect. It glides on like oil, then somehow turns into a balm-like feel within 30 seconds. Weirdest part? It absorbs completely in about 10 minutes — no sticky residue left on your phone screen.
Week 2 hit and I got lazy — skipped a day. By day 3 without it, my lips were back to flaking. So yeah, you have to keep up. But the rebound isn’t as brutal as with heavy balms.
Photo: Paola Aguilar / Unsplash
Flaking stopped by day 5. Lip lines looked softer by week 3 — not erased, but less like tiny cracks. The tint lasts about 4 hours, but the hydration lingers for 6+.
Photo: Element5 Digital / Unsplash
It’s not magic — but it’s the closest thing I’ve found to a lip product that actually hydrates without feeling like a science experiment. My lips are softer, smoother, and finally not flaking into my coffee.